Rodriguez: Not Dead Yet. Technically, Anyway. Comment Count

Brian

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All right, to recap what you've probably already read: Fox and the Free Press jumped the proverbial gun and there has been no official word that Rodriguez is done for yet. Insert condescending clucking about legacy media's insatiable desire to be first at the expense of being right. The 7 PM meeting tonight has been moved to 4 tomorrow.

What does it mean? Eh… probably not much. Sources very close to the AD are incredibly tight-lipped and most of the information out there is coming from outside the department (or, if within the department, may not be that close to the decision-making process), but if we've learned one thing it's that no decisions will ever be made.

Except they probably will. The massive favorite in the rumormongering is none other than Brady Hoke, which goddammit. I'm not writing things about it now because all of it could or would get thrown back in my face in the event Brady Hoke is not a complete failure but rest assured I'm thinking all of them and how.

Items you probably haven't read elsewhere yet:

  • A parent of a Michigan player had a chance run-in with John Saunders, Craig James, and some other ESPN folk who said Harbaugh is "still in it," for whatever that means.
  • Players are shooting the news(?) back and forth to each other on twitter. Whether they're all basing it off apparently not-quite-founded news reports or they've got something more to go on is unknown.
  • Excellent source that provided the Hoke "not an option" quote has been forced to backtrack, unfortunately, and says he is "in play potentially" now even if he wasn't on the list of viable candidates to start. Also an announcement of the new guy is "likely within 24 hours," but no idea on his end as to who that might be. As always this stuff shifts with the wind so take it for what it's worth.

I still cling to the belief that Michigan would not look at a 53-year-old with one decent season and one undefeated MAC campaign (undefeated until Ball State played Buffalo in the championship game, anyway, and then imploded against Tulsa, and then the mighty foundation Hoke had wrought imploded in a pile of balsawood splinters) after Indiana and Minnesota had both said "thanks, but no thanks" to the same guy, let alone make him their head coach. Especially if the inane rumor that Hoke's first hire is going to be his brother—we've had plenty of virtual nepotism already without the real thing intruding—is true and blah blah blah.

Unfortunately, I don't have much information and am relying on the common sense and logical deduction that have served me so well mocked and haunted me the last three years. I promise you this: if Brady Hoke is actually hired small children should not read the site for a week following because every other word will be swearing. This is in no way a joke.

Comments

wlubd

January 4th, 2011 at 6:10 PM ^

I'm clinging to the hope that the delay of the team meeting is a result of Brandon and harbaugh needing time to hammer out details and give him time to get to AA for the meeting.
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<br>We still haven't heard anything reasonable from the harbaugh camp that he isn't play so I remain optimistic. If he doesn't end up here, DB's f'd this up worse than the last coaching search.

Wolverdore

January 4th, 2011 at 8:35 PM ^

I still feel as though there is massive speculation and rumors on many things, but no confirmation. JH, RR nor DB have said anything. It is all speculation and one rumor building upon another.
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<br>FWIW, I think if RR is fired, it will be Miles and they are just waiting for Friday. I have no support for that. It is basically a hunch.
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<br>Just like all the other news releases.

seattleblue

January 4th, 2011 at 6:27 PM ^

If I had to guess, which is all anyone is doing. The RR/DB meeting ran long and emotions ran high and the team mtg was delayed to give RR time to collect himself before addressing the team and media.
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<br>Here's to hoping for another 12 hrs that RR or JH will be coaching in Ann Arbor next season and BH will stay far far away

Bodogblog

January 4th, 2011 at 8:35 PM ^

Rittenberg says the meeting went 4 hours, will meet again tmw. Could RR have actually talked DB into keeping him, at the meeting where he was to be fired? GD. Wouldn't even know how to process that, but I think I'd have more respect for both.
<br>If it's Hoke vs. RR, I'm picking my lapel pin back up and shining it for one more year.

rdonnelly

January 4th, 2011 at 6:27 PM ^

For what it's worth, Fox 2 News just broke the news (again) on TV. They say they just learned 20 minutes ago that there will be a press conference tomorrow announcing RR will be relieved of his duties. They were also speculating that Hoke is the top candidate.

M-Wolverine

January 4th, 2011 at 7:26 PM ^

Is that your Stephen Kass warning?
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<br>I say go off on Hoke. It'll probably increase the jinx super successful factor tenfold. Because that's how these things always work out. Say he can't miss, and well, we saw how that worked out. Say DOOM, and maybe he'll surprised everyone.

Bodogblog

January 4th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^

I showed a picture of Hoke to my fiancé and she laughed. "He looks like that Belushi guy from the toga party. That was Belushi, right?"
<br>My boss (alum, casual football fan) had a similar but stronger reaction. Brandon will get killed if he brings in this guy. Let's hope it's a ruse to make us happier with whoever they bring in short of Harbaugh

M-Wolverine

January 4th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^

I have to wonder...if log in is disabled...people mostly can't post...so Amy new news won't get posted...so people won't be checking...so the site won't be that busy....what exactly is bring saved by disabling it? People won't be clicking for new news, because it'll probably be out there before Brian confirms (in the odd chance something happens anyway). Are there that many hits from people just reading the content in the evening from way earlier in the day? ("Old news", as it were, at thus point). I'm not being snarky (for a change), it's an honest question...are there more hits in the after-hours from those who read Brian's midday postings or the board?